Are You a Cyclist? The Tour de France Is Almost Here

Every July, something happens to cyclists across the country. The Tour de France lights up screens and suddenly every road feels like a stage, every hill a col, and every commute a chance to push a little harder, go a little further, clip in a little sooner. I see it every year in my clinic. The energy is wonderful. The injuries, less so.

As a physiotherapist with over a decade working with recreational and competitive cyclists, I want to use this moment, this annual surge of Tour fever, to talk honestly about what cycling does to the body, what it can do for you, and what it tends to break down when we ignore the warning signs.

The Body Under the Bike

Cycling is, by nature, a repetitive sport. You sit in the same position, moving through the same pattern, for hours at a time. That is both its beauty and its risk. The knee is the most common casualty, particularly around the patella and the iliotibial band, two structures that absorb enormous stress during every pedal stroke. Then there is the lower back, chronically compressed in cyclists who ride with a forward lean and poor core engagement. Neck and shoulder tension follow, especially on longer rides or aggressive geometries. None of these are dramatic injuries in the way a sprint finish crash might be. They are quiet, cumulative, and entirely preventable with the right guidance.

Don't Wait Until the Season Is Over

What I find most often is that cyclists arrive in clinic not after a sudden event but after weeks of ignoring something. A tightness on the outside of the knee. A niggle in the hip flexor. A stiffness in the lower back that takes longer and longer to clear each morning. These are signals, and they deserve attention early, not once the season has already passed you by.

Fit and Strength: The Two Things Most Cyclists Overlook

Bike fit is something I cannot overstate. An ill-fitting bike is the root cause of the vast majority of overuse injuries I treat in cyclists. Saddle height, cleat alignment, handlebar reach, these are not details for elite riders only. They matter just as much for the person doing two hours on a Sunday morning. A proper bike fit assessment, ideally done by someone with a movement and biomechanics background, can eliminate problems that have persisted for years.

Strength work off the bike is the other piece that recreational cyclists most commonly skip. Glute activation, hip stability, single-leg control. These translate directly into a more efficient, more protected pedal stroke. The riders who do this work are consistently the ones who finish the season stronger than they started it.

So as you watch the peloton climb through the Pyrenees this July, inspired and ready to get back on the bike, do yourself a favour. Listen to your body. Get your position checked. Address the niggles before they become injuries.

At Smartphysio, our physiotherapists offer thorough, individualised assessments and tailored rehabilitation programmes designed to get you moving comfortably and confidently again. Get in touch today and take the first step.